A French song that conquered the world - except in France
French pop singers of the fifties and sixties are often criticised for being reliant on cover versions of overseas hits - in particular those emanating from the UK or the US. While there is some justification in this - after all, many of the yé-yé singers in particular began their careers by covering the big international hits of the day - the truth is that many singers did rely on their own material (or that of the country's songsmiths). There were far more original French songs around than is generally realised, and a significant number of those went on to find success internationally, including some, like this one, that failed to ring the bell at home. Gilbert Bécaud was one of the big French stars of the fifties. A remarkable performer and a gifted composer (like Elton John, he could not write lyrics and so relied on collaborators to provide lyrics to his songs throughout his career), he had begun his career as part of the backroom team behind Édith Piaf before rocketing ...